Warby Parker pops 15% on $150 million Google smart glasses partnership

Core Insights - Warby Parker shares increased by over 15% following Google's announcement of a smart glasses partnership at its I/O developer conference [1] - Google has pledged up to $150 million for the project, with $75 million already invested in product development and an additional $75 million contingent on Warby meeting collaboration milestones [1] - The first products from the partnership are expected to launch after 2025, utilizing Google's Android XR operating system and Gemini AI assistant [1][2] Company and Industry Analysis - The collaboration between Warby Parker and Google is set to compete with the existing partnership between Meta and EssilorLuxottica, which has already launched multiple generations of smart glasses [3] - This partnership marks Google's re-entry into the eyewear market, following the controversial launch of Google Glass in 2013, which faced privacy issues [4]